Watchdog report says OSHA to blame for high rate of healthcare worker injuries

A Washington, D.C.-based worker advocacy group says OSHA needs to step up its game when it comes to protecting healthcare workers, who suffer one of the nation’s highest rates of workplace injuries.

Among other things, Public Citizen, in a report released in July, claims that while healthcare workers outnumber construction workers by a ratio of 2-to-1, OSHA performs 20 times more construction work site inspections than healthcare facilities. Blaming budgetary restraints, the group says more inspections could catch hazardous workplace conditions that could prevent some of these injuries.